Events: Out & About in February 2012

Singer/songwriters headline shows in Albany and Suffern; while artists tell stories in Hudson

Vega in the Valley

Ground-breaking singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega makes a rare local appearance this month. Vega — whose distinctive voice has been described as “a cool, dry, sandpaper-brushed near-whisper” — had big hits in 1987 with “Tom’s Diner” and “Luka,” a disarming story of child abuse told from the viewpoint of a young victim. Her eclectic but folk-inspired tunes feature sophisticated lyrics inspired by songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Vega was a leading figure in the ’80s revival of folk music, and her success helped pave the way for artists like Tracy Chapman and the Indigo Girls. Catch her at the Cultural Arts Theatre at Rockland Community College. Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. $35-$45. 145 College Rd., Suffern. 845-418-ARTS (2787) or www.artsrock.org

Morality tales

Art with a message: Tell Me a Story — Narrative Works, the current show at the Carrie Haddad Gallery, features paintings by a trio of artists that comment on different issues of social and political inequality. In her series “Being Black in America,” self-taught painter Anima Katz depicts aspects of African American culture in a naive, folk art style. A former court translator in New York, Tona Wilson portrays — in a detached but sympathetic way — immigrants and prisoners as they maneuver their way through the legal system. By contrast, David Austin’s shadowy, dark-suited male figures appear to be spies or FBI agents; they lurk around corners and huddle onto jet planes with covert and (apparently) sinister intentions. Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. through March 4. 622 Warren St., Hudson. 518-828-1915 or www.carriehaddadgallery.com

Alive and kicking

In 1976, British singer/guitarist Peter Frampton released Frampton Comes Alive!, a double album recorded live at several venues in the U.S. The LP went on to sell more than six million copies in this country, spending 97 weeks on the Billboard charts and cementing Frampton’s reputation as a bona fide rock star. Last year, the musician mounted the “Frampton Comes Alive 35th Anniversary Tour,” a series of three-hour concerts during which the album — which includes the hit singles “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” — is played in its entirety. Frampton and his band bring the show to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. $39.50-$69.50. 19 Clinton Ave., Albany. 518-465-3334 or www.palacealbany.com